290 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 
crossed over to Quebec, and went into service at GEORGE Ros- 
son’s Spring Grove farm north of London. Here he rooted 
out the fundamentals of Canadian agriculture, and forthwith 
took charge of a fifteen hundred acre estate on Long Island, 
belonging to a New York ship builder. Finding that his tastes 
and activities had insufficient rein, he undertook the handling 
of the fourteen hundred acre farm near Utica, New York, owned 
by Watcock and CAMPBELL of the New York Sheeting Mills, 
cotton manufacturers. Mr. Gipson induced the proprietors to 
enter into purebred livestock, and after a short experience with 
Ayrshires on the suggestion of Mr. CAMPBELL, he succeeded in 
getting Shorthorns introduced. 
While America had early given allegiance to the BATES fam- 
ilies, England retained predominantly the Bootu tribes. In 
the hope of popularizing the WarLaBy stock, Mr. GIBSON made 
a visit to THomas C. Bootu, (85) then at the pinnacle of his 
showyard career with the Royal champions Commander-in-Chief 
and Lady Fragrant. It had been a set policy of WARLABY never 
to sell females, and it was only when Mr. Gipson promised to 
take the animals out of Britain that a price was quoted. Among 
the ten head selected was the $5,000 show heifer Bride of the 
Vale. Two years:later a like number of Bootu-bred animals 
were again imported by him. Fearing the inroads of the War- 
LABY animals, Mr. SHELDON, owner of all the Thorndale 
Duchesses, offered to sell a half of his herd. After some dis- 
cussion between Mr. Gipson and Mr. CAMPBELL, the division 
was made, the Duchesses costing $5,500 apiece, and the Oxfords 
$2,800. A year later the remainder of the herd was taken over. 
About this time it was discovered that the only Duchesses of 
pure BATEs descent were those owned at New York Mills, and 
in 1873, Britain and America matched pounds against dollars 
to secure possession of this noted collection. The astounding 
total of $381,999 was reached for 109 head, the top price being 
